Sri Lanka charts course for high-end marine tourism with focus on shipwreck diving

Ivana Orlovic Kranjc PIC BY NIMALSIRI EDIRISINGHE

By Nishel Fernando

Sri Lanka is actively pivoting towards high-value, experiential travel by heavily promoting its untapped marine tourism sector, with a strategic focus on shipwreck diving. 

Recognising the growing global demand for immersive and sustainable underwater experiences, the local tourism authorities and Sri Lanka Navy have partnered to showcase the island’s rich maritime heritage to the adventure seekers and marine enthusiasts worldwide. 

This shift aligns with broader economic goals to attract high-spending tourists, moving away from the traditional volume-based tourism towards a more lucrative, yield-driven model.

In line with this strategy, the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) is currently hosting three Serbian celebrity divers—Janez Kranjc, Ivana Orlovic Kranjc and Dorotea Dikic—from March 16 to 19.

Speaking at the launch event held in Colombo last week, Kranjc highlighted the island’s untapped potential, describing Sri Lanka as a “blue diamond” and noting that its wrecks and underwater marine life are a huge treasure that would attract the divers globally. 

During their expedition, the divers are documenting underwater landscapes and historic wreck sites across key coastal destinations, including Colombo, Negombo, Mirissa, Kirinda and Galle. This targeted initiative aims to raise international awareness and firmly position Sri Lanka as an emerging, premier destination for underwater exploration.

To maximise global reach, the newly created promotional content from the expedition, combined with the existing footage produced by the Sri Lanka Navy, was officially launched on a dedicated Navy website on March 12. Simultaneously, the same material is being featured on the official SLTPB platforms, strengthening the joint effort to market these offerings to the international audiences.

The foundation for this niche market relies heavily on the Sri Lanka Navy’s extensive underwater surveys, which have documented 70 shipwrecks around the island. These wrecks offer a vast historical range, from the 2,000-year-old Godawaya wreck—recognised as the oldest in the Asia-Pacific region—to the World War I vessels off the Colombo coast and the World War II wrecks like HMS Hermes in Batticaloa. 

Located at depths of up to 75 meters, these sunken vessels have transformed into thriving artificial reefs. The newly launched digital platform provides the prospective divers with the essential pre-dive intelligence, including the historical context, depth limitations and sea conditions. 

Furthermore, the island’s monsoon-driven climate allows for year-round diving operations, with the West Coast accessible from January to April and the East Coast open from May to November.

From an economic perspective, shipwreck diving represents a highly lucrative segment, capable of significantly boosting foreign exchange earnings. While the exact revenue targets for this new segment are still being formalised by the tourism officials, the industry analyses indicate that marine tourism could potentially generate substantial revenue for the local economy. 

The recurring income generated by international dive tourism far exceeds the one-off scrap metal value of these sunken vessels, which currently sits at merely around Rs.20 per kilogramme. By developing the necessary infrastructure, logistics and safety standards, Sri Lanka aims to capitalise on this high-end segment to transform coastal economies and support broader ocean conservation efforts.

As the collaborative efforts between the SLTPB and Sri Lanka Navy gather momentum, the overarching focus remains on sustainable marine tourism. By bringing in professional divers to capture high-quality marketing material and leveraging digital platforms to disseminate it, the country is actively curating a sophisticated brand image. 

This strategic development of eco-friendly, science-based marine tourism is expected to attract luxury-minded marine adventurers, securing Sri Lanka’s competitive edge in the Indian Ocean’s tourism landscape.